Global South wouldn’t be a fair example since you’d have to factor in historical (and current) exploitation by Western nations. This tends to bolster corruption by having leaders sell out their population to align with Western prerogatives, enriching themselves in the process.

The social democracies in these nations is generally an attempt to protect the populace from Western capitalism moreso than domestic capitalism.

One example would be when the US overthrew the Shah in Iran back in the 50s because they socialized ownership of their oil reserves (previously owned through exploitation by a Western coporation). They staged a coup d’etat to install a pro Western leader so that the Western exploitation could continue. This inevitably led to the Iranian revolution, playing a significant role in Iran’s current state as a theocracy.

The Global South, particularly South America, has countless of examples of this. The term banana republic is used to describe this very situation.

This is by no means an indictment on Western culture, just that the global rich will inevitably be in a position to manipulate the global not-so-rich for their own gain. Western nations are the global bourgeoisie.

Nordic nations are a better example of social democracies as they are not subject to the same type of meddling.

If this is maxing their looks then that gene pool was utterly fucked to begin with.

There’s no way the wall would look real as your perspective shifts while yoi over closer to it. Most humans would react to that by at least slowing down.

Interesting that in the most consumerist nation on earth, objects have more value than people.

Sounds like an American cultural issue to me. Haven’t really seen this anywhere else in the world.

Be revolutionary, put your family over your employer.

If that’s revolutionary, we may be beyond saving.

It was effective in India also, playing a key role in bringing an end to the scourge that was the British Empire.

But civil disobedience isn’t received the same way anymore. People have become so accustomed to convenience that if you stand between them and the corner store or them and their Amazon delivery, some actually believe you should die for it.

These are the idiots that put the ruling class in the position that they hold today. Is it any wonder why they have so much power?

There’s nothing impressive about a man going back to work the day after their child was born unless they somehow popped the newborn out of their precious little asshole.

All it means is that they’re willing to put their wife at risk of post partum depression and that they don’t give a shit about their child. Not a thing to be proud of there.

For those that are unaware, retiring in place is actually a great way to describe American politicians.

Boomers keep their job till they go to the grave but they stop working at 65, coasting while collecting a paycheck and having others pick up their slack.

Most Americans dump their kids in daycare at 3 months of age.

Not due to any fault of their own. FMLA (federal leave) only provides 3 months of unpaid time and many states and employers do not provide any additional coverage. So, both mom and dad are often back to work three months into their baby’s life.

If they don’t go back to work then they lose healthcare coverage since that’s tied to employment in the US.

If it sounds dystopian… Welcome to the ‘greatest country on earth’.

Oh and by the way, daycare costs $1500/month so you might have to work extra to make up for all that unpaid leave you took.

I’ve often heard it framed as you aren’t ‘productive’ during that time.

Which is true if you don’t think that investing time in your family is worthwhile.

The majority of America’s working class are wage slaves who grind themselves to dust with a smile on their face making bank for their capitalist overlords while telling themselves they’re “built different”

Go to any small American town and you’ll meet hundreds of examples of when ‘rugged individualism’ goes wrong.

As a Canadian living in the US I cringed hard reading OPs post.

The state I’m in offers shit pay for leave but I was fortunate enough to be able to take it.

I don’t see why anyone in the right financial position wouldn’t.

America has an incredibly toxic hustle culture that’s obsessed with productivity and gives little credence to mental health, physical health or work life balance. Women feel some degree of pressure from it but it’s especially harmful to men.

I can only imagine how American women feel though many of them are brainwashed into thinking it’s masculine for a father to largely ignore their family for work.

What extension do you use on Kodi?

Was she hospitalized? Not a lot the doctors can do if she was at home.

Wealthy Americans pay out of pocket for top notch care in foreign countries. The ordinary person / family would not be able to afford that.

The wealthiest Americans fuck around with alternative medicine after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and then pay bribes to jump the transplant list domestically.

This is the type of reporting that feeds into Trumps hierarchical world view. Anything short of blindly agreeing with what he says is an affront, a ‘smackdown’ even.

Dude politely declined to address it. Which he shouldn’t given his position. Not news worthy.

What are the two most important characteristics in a partnership?

1. Loyalty 2) Reliability.

The US is showing that it is neither loyal nor reliable. This is going to hurt American business for generations to come. Even of the Republicans get ousted with the next election, it is very difficult to rebuild a sense of loyalty and reliability.

The only option is the divest in the US now. Any investment in the US will not be conducive to a stable economy.

Americans are some of the most politically divided people on the planet in a country that’s basically a few corporations in a trenchcoat with limited to no social safety nets and crumbling infrastructure.

Why on earth would Canada want that? America may be the richest nation on earth but you don’t see that when you drive down an ordinary American street. All that money is sitting in the coffers of a handful of billionaires and corporations.

Hard pass.